With this issue, Al-Hewar Magazine continues to celebrate its 11^th year. Over the years, the magazine was not intended to be merely a publication; rather, it was designed to serve a goal, play a role, and establish a style. The goal is to serve Arabic culture and create greater understanding among the members of the Arab and Arab American communities; the role is to promote a dialogue among these members in order to achieve that understanding; and the style embodies a unique form of dialogue that encourages an open exchange of ideas and opinions and respects the rights of others.

Al-Hewar Magazine was established in 1989 in order to provide a written platform for differing and varied opinions among the members of the Arab community and others with an interest in Arabic culture, Islamic civilization and the politics of the Middle East. Al-Hewar Center soon followed as a place for a face-to-face dialogue and the exchange of ideas. Both experiments in dialogue have been successful in bringing the community together and changing its perceptions about how ideas and opinions can be shared. There has been a noticeable positive improvement in the way in which the members of the community communicate with each other.

Since it opened, Al-Hewar Center has held over 400 meetings and events. This summer, the Center hosted the following:

• A conversation and slide presentation with Iraqi researcher Dr. Mohammed Al-Sadoun about "The Search for an Arab Identity in Contemporary Arab Art".
• A reading by Dr. Adnan Salim of the poetry of the Late Iraqi Poet Mohammed Mahdi Al-Jawahiri.
• A conversation with Dr. Rushdi Said about his new book "A Life Journey" with introductions by Dr. Fawzi Heikal and Mr. Mohamad Hakki.
• A conversation with Al-Sayed Murtada El-Shirazi about "Al-Shoura" .
• "Iraq and the Gulf 10 Years After the Invasion of Kuwait" with introductory remarks by Dr. Khalid Abdalla and Mr. Sadek Sulaiman .
• Panel Discussion about "Egypt: The Location, the Identity, the Role".
• Discussion with Dr. Bassem Khafaji about "Globalism and the Future of the Arabic Economy" with remarks by Dr. Khalid Abdalla and Dr. Anwar Ashqi .
• An Open Discussion about "Syria After Hafez Al-Assad," with an introduction by the Charge d’Affaires and acting Head of Mission of the Syrian Embassy in Washington, Dr. Rostom Al-Zou’bi.
• A discussion with Qadi Hussain Ahmad, president of the Islamic University of Pakistan .
• "Getting Involved in the Political Process and How to Raise Arab American Issues in the 2000 Elections," a discussion with David Nasser and Abdallah Al-Zuabi, National Field Director and Field Organizer, respectively, of the Arab American Institute (AAI) (in English and Arabic).
• An Evening of Literature and Poetry prepared by Ms. Nahida Fadli Dajani on the occasion of the 11th Anniversary of Al-Hewar Magazine, with special guest famous Sudanese Writer Al-Tayeb Al-Saleh.
• "Remarks on the Methods of Change and Resistance in the Arab World," and Open Discussion with an introduction by Dr. Nasr Arif and Sobhi Ghandour .
• A Conversation with Immigration and Tax Attorney Joseph Skeen about "What’s New in Immigration Law?" (in English).

The experience of Al-Hewar Center is, above all, an experiment on a small scale of what needs to be done on a large scale: to work for understanding and cooperation; to respect the right of others to think and believe as they wish; and to look for the commonalities among people of differing opinions.